


7 Years, 7 Engines

by Mystic_Harley



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Thomas the Tank Engine - All Media Types
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-21
Updated: 2018-08-10
Packaged: 2019-05-26 06:45:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,890
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14995109
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mystic_Harley/pseuds/Mystic_Harley
Summary: The Hogwarts Express has been put out of commission for 7 years, and thus Professor Dumbledore has asked the Island of Sodor to help pull the express until she's been repaired.





	1. A Green Beginning

Through Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, a young Harry Potter was exposed to the Hogwarts Express for the first time. Majestic coaches lined up on the tracks almost as far as the eye could see, and steam billowed around the platform with the hustle and bustle of everyday life. What was most striking to Harry however, was the absolutely gigantic green steam engine hooked up to the coaches.

It's coal tender had a proud yellow 3 on the side, and along the splendid green body was a shorter funnel than Harry had expected from a steam engine. Then there was it's face, which Harry would have normally thought very unusual, except that he instantly knew this was an engine from Sodor. A warm smile was on the engine's face, and his elderly eyes seemed to twinkle with child-like glee. There was a small crowd around the front of the engine, and he could hear brief calls of "Hello Henry!" and "Good afternoon Henry!" from a few students. They must be wizards or witches from Sodor. 

"Mummy look at that engine!" That was the little girl with Mrs. Weasley. He looked over at the family, most of which were looking at the splendid train. 

The pompous-sounding one, puffed his chest a little. "The Hogwarts Express will be out of commission for the next few years. So Professor Dumbledore has kindly asked the Fat Controller of Sodor if he could loan an engine until it's repaired."

Now Harry's curiosity grew even more, and quietly he pushed his way through the dispersing crowd as Henry's whistle blew loudly, and the driver gave the cry of 'All Aboard!'. But as Harry approached Henry. 

The green engine smiled kindly at him. "Hello there, you should get on the train, we'll be departing soon." 

Harry nodded, but remained motionless. "I will. I just...have never seen a Sodor engine up close before, is all."

"Ahhh, that explains it. Well it's a pleasure to meet you, I'm Henry." 

"I'm Harry, Harry Potter. Pleasure to meet you too Henry. Will you be pulling the express next year?" if Henry recognized Harry's name, he didn't show it. Internally, Harry was grateful that the engine's eyes didn't wander to his forehead. He didn't like all of the attention showered onto him, it was overwhelming.

"Well that all depends on if I'm available next year Harry!" Henry replied jovially. "I could be, or another engine could pull the express. We're rather busy engines after all, but I was able to make the trip over so I can pull you all to Hogwarts." He blew his whistle again. "In you go now, don't want you to be left behind on your first day!"

Henry chuckled as Harry scampered away with his trunk and boarded the train. The driver blew his final whistle, and Henry gave a great woosh of steam. The coaches jolted, and soon the Hogwarts Express was finally on its way back home.

\---

It had been a few hours now, the journey from King's Cross to Hogwarts was a lengthy one after all. But Henry was used to long trains, and in fact he was quite enjoying the scenery of Scotland. The beautiful plains and greenery was a sight Henry would never forget about. He gave a loud and long whistle, beaming widely.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" His driver asked him.

"Oh yes! It's absolutely splendid!" Henry agreed happily. "But I'm afraid if we tell Donald and Douglas, we'll never hear the end of it!"

His driver gave a hearty laugh at that, heading back inside the compartment to enjoy the delicious treats the kind old trolley witch had provided for him and the fireman, before a soft croak was heard. Blinking, the driver looked down and saw a toad staring back up at him. Chuckling, he picked up the creature and gently set it away from the firebox. "Looks like we have a visitor, Henry!"

"Did one of the students actually try and talk to us while the train was in motion?" Henry asked in a disbelieving tone.

"No no, someone's pet toad managed it though!" Henry gave a small 'hmph', mumbling about needing to take better care of one's pets. The driver just laughed, and focused his attention back on his job. 

More hours stretched on in silence, and the sun was setting by the time Henry finally saw Hogwarts Castle in all of her majestic glory. "So, that's where the students are going to stay at?" Henry asked his driver, watching as the castle started growing bigger and bigger as they approached.

"Sure is! Afraid we'll be stopping at Hogsmeade Station however, but you'll get a nice view of the castle from there!" Nice view indeed! Henry was looking all around in awe as he finally pulled into Hogsmeade Station, and the biggest and hairiest man the green engine had ever seen walked up to him, carrying a massive lamp.

"You the new engine fer the Hogwarts Express are ye?" the hairy man asked. 

"Yes sir, for this year at least. My name's Henry," the man smiled, and made to extend his hand before quickly pulling it away. Henry had to resist rolling his eyes, it wasn't uncommon to see that.

"Me name's Hagrid. Keeper o'the keys n' groundskeeper of Hogwarts. Pleased t'meet ye!" 

"Pleasure to meet you as well. Oh!" the frog croaked, leaping out of his driver's pocket. "I had forgotten all about the frog. Could you find it's owner for us, Hagrid?" Hagrid was already scooping the frog gently with his free hand.

"Don't ye worry about it 'Enry, if I can't find it's owner I know it'll have a home here at Hogwarts. FIRST YEARS!" Hagrid boomed, as Henry wheesed steam out. "FIRST YEARS OVER HERE! HOW YE DOING 'ARRY?"

Little Harry Potter trotted up to Hagrid with with a red-headed child of similar height. "Hello Hagrid! Doing alright. How will we get to the castle?" Hagrid's beetle black eyes seemed to sparkle as he tapped his nose, winking at his young friend. 

Harry turned to face Henry again. "Goodbye Henry, it was nice meeting you!"

Henry smiled brilliantly at Harry. "Goodbye to you too Harry! Take care now!" the boy waved, and joined his new friend along with the other students. "And don't forget, if you ever want to visit me, the Island of Sodor's doors are always open for you!" The engine called out, saying brief goodbyes to the students who recognized him. 

The green engine whistled into the night air one final time to the retreating students. 

"Ready to go home?" his driver asked.

"Oh yes, I'm ready. I'll tell everyone about this fantastic journey," Henry replied.


	2. Big and Blue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Second Year: It's Gordon's turn to pull the express, and he makes a surprising friend after it's all said and done.

Little Ginny Weasley was extremely nervous and also extremely excited. She was finally going to Hogwarts! After all of her life, seeing her brothers go away for a majority of the year, now she too would finally join her family in attending the magical school she had been told so much about.

As she stepped through the barrier, the most striking train caught her eye. It's long, slender body was surrounded by a shroud of steam. But what caused Ginny to frown was that this engine was colored blue. It wasn't the green engine from last year, and instead of a number 3 on it's tender, it was a number 4.

She wished her mother and father goodbye, but her eyes were fixated on the engine in front of her. Plucking up her courage, she walked up to the face of the train, to see a relaxed looking face. "Excuse me?"

The train's eyes looked over at her. "Yes, little girl?" Ginny was a little surprised, his voice was deep and snooty. Not at all like the kind warmth the other engine had shown.

"Are you the train from last year? Because if you are, you've changed your paint! You were green last year, weren't you?" Apparently, that had been the wrong thing to say to the engine. With a great woosh of steam, the engine's face looked down right cross at her.

"I, am Gordon! I am a splendid engine that shouldn't even be compared to someone like, like Henry!" He whooshed again, looking positively insulted.

"I-I'm sorry Gordon, I didn't mean-"

"Pah!" Gordon scoffed, now ignoring Ginny. "Just get on the train. We'll be departing soon." Ginny shrunk down, but gathered up her things and nodded. With the bluster and rush only an eleven year old girl could muster, she boarded the train and made her way to one of the coaches.

Gordon's driver looked most unhappy. "That wasn't very nice Gordon." He reprimanded the engine. "She's not from around here, it's only natural that she'd get confused."

Deep in his boiler, he could feel the guilt rising up. But Gordon grumbled anyways, now looking even more sour than he had before. With a long and loud whistle, followed by the signal from the stationmaster, Gordon pulled out of the station and started the long journey to Hogwarts.

When Fred and George found the compartment Ginny had stowed herself away in, they were naturally both confused and concerned to find their baby sister sulking away by her lonesome, chewing on a chocolate frog.

"Now what-"

"Has gotten-"

"Our baby sister-"

"All mopey?"

"Perhaps it was-"

"A boy that she had to turn down?" Ginny scowled at the twins.

Fred clutched onto George, looking aghast.

"A boy already brother dearest?"

"It looks like our Gin-Gin has already turned into the Hogwarts Heartbreaker."

Ginny glared at them now, and threw the empty box at them. "Sod off you two."

The Twins however, merely sat besides her. "And what has gotten our baby sister all pouty, eh?"

She squirmed, looking from Fred to George before speaking in a quiet voice, looking down at the floor. "I think I made the train mad. He seemed awfully cross at me..."

Ginny glanced up at her twin brothers, who were now frowning thoughtfully at her. Clearly, they were trying to think about what on earth she said that would make a train mad.

"Well Ginny," One of them started.

"If you made the train mad, then you'll have to apologize! Simple."

"Problem solved brother dearest! Now, my pockets are feeling a bit light..." Ginny blinked as George hoisted a few more chocolate frog packets into her hands. "Much better. Shall we depart to try and find Ickle-Ronniekins dear brother?"

Fred nodded sagely, and deposited a few more packets with his brother. "Quite right! Off we shall then! And Ginny, you sit here and write out a formal, well worded, properly grammered apology. Or else mum will be most cross with you!"

Ginny giggled at her brother's impersonation of Percy, and with matching grins, the twins disappeared from the compartment. Pulling out another chocolate frog, she caught it and started gnawing on it, staring out the window in thought.

  
\----

Gordon gave a short burst of whistles as he slowed down in Hogsmeade Station. While he too, had enjoyed the scenery the trip provided, in truth he was thinking of none other than that little girl he was so rude too earlier. He could hear the Fat Controller's scolding of him in his head.

"Chin up Gordon, I'm sure she's forgotten all about it." Gordon grumbled, and his mood didn't improve when he heard that.

Then, much to his surprise, he heard her voice. "Excuse me? Gordon?" He turned his attention to the platform in front of him. There she stood, her red hair unmistakable as she fidgeted on the spot. "I'd...like to apologize for earlier today. About making you upset."

The engine gave a long, deep sigh. "No no. I believe it is I who should apologize to you. I acted out of line, that was wrong of me. I'm sorry."

He couldn't help his relieved smile when he saw her face light up. "Don't tell my big brother, Percy, about this will you? He'll actually make me write you a letter of apology." The big blue engine chuckled a little.

"Don't worry, I won't tell him. You have an older brother?"

Ginny nodded, frowning a little. "Six. I'm the only girl in the family." She scowled a little, folding her arms. "And they baby me, all of them. They think I'm made of fragile glass or something."

The engine gave a low hum of thought. "They're just looking out for you, I'm sure of it. Not all older brothers are so considering about their younger siblings."

The little witch looked thoughtfully at him now, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. "Do you have an older brother Mr. Gordon?"

"Just the one. Perhaps you've heard of him, he's quite well known here I think. The Flying Scotsman is his name." Secretly, he couldn't help but find it cathartic at the blank look on her face, and he was giddy that his older brother was so unknown.

"Well, perhaps you haven't heard of him. That's quite alright. Never forget that what your brothers do does not define you and your actions, got it? They could be the most famous train in the world, for example, and it shouldn't define you, or who you grow to be."

Now Ginny looked even more thoughtful, and she nodded slowly. "...I think I understand Mr. Gordon. Do..." She shuffled, looking embarrassed. "Do you mind if I do write to you? It would be nice to have a pen pal. I'd understand if you wouldn't want to write to someone like me, of course. I'm Ginny, Ginny Weasley by the way."

Now Gordon wore a proud and big smile on his face. "Ginny Weasley, I would be honored to have you as my pen pal. I expect a letter as soon as possible, okay?"

The little girl nodded, and dashed off to the other first years to join the big burly giant, waving his lantern around and calling for the first years. "I will! I promise! Goodbye Mr. Gordon!"

Gordon whistled back in response. "Goodbye Ginny! I hope to see your first letter soon!" Thus, a beautiful, if strange, friendship began that night. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, thank you all so much for reading this. Reviews are always appreciated!


	3. Cold Blue Iron

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Edward is pulling the express the year that Sirius Black has escaped from prison. After the dementors stop the express, the old engine finds a new friend during the unscheduled stop.

There were few things Edward could truly say he despised in the world, but Dementors were high on that small list. He understood perfectly well that they were just flat out unpleasant beings to be around, no way to cut it. The fact they made him relive his worst memories didn't help either, and a cold chill ran through his boiler, steam hissing in the cold air as Edward fumed quietly that the Dementors stopped him.

Sirius Black? On the train!? And he heard that the gastly creatures got a little...overzealous with a few of the students, if the professor's conversations with his driver and fireman where anything to go bye.

"I apologize for stopping, sir," The blue engine had said to him. "I didn't have much choice in the matter, I'm afraid."

The rattered and tired looking professor only smiled at the train's response. "No need to fret, I would think almost any train would stop under these circumstances."

The old engine couldn't help but chuckle. "I can think of a couple engines that might push through and tell the dementors to buzz off!"

This brought a small laugh from the ragged professor, and Edward couldn't help the fond smile of thinking about Gordon's indignant response that someone delay the express. He frowned when there was a soft knock, and the distinct sound of a timid child's voice could be heard.

"E-Excuse me? I-I'm sorry for bothering you...b-but would you happen to have some chocolate up front? The Trolley Witch has run out..." Edward could hear his driver, fireman, and the professor all pat themselves down, until with a soft 'aha' and the distinct crinkle of wrapper paper was heard.

"Thank you, sir..." The boy's voice trailed off, and Edward whistled a tiny bit.

"You'll be alright now!" The old engine called out. "If those garrish creatures try to stop the train, I'll blow steam in their face and keep moving."

The boy sounded relieved at Edward's assurance of safety. "T-Thank you! Mister...er..."

"Edward," The train provided. "Pleasure to meet you, Mr...?"

"Longbottom. Neville Longbottom."

"Well Nevile, the train won't make any other unscheduled stops for the remainder of the trip. I'm dreafully sorry for the delay."

"No!" Neville squeaked from within the cab. "No trouble at all! It's the Dementor's fault..." Despite Neville's assurances, Edward couldn't shake the guilt and shame that not only did he stop, but his passengers were in danger! If the Fat Controller were here...

"Let's get you two back on the train so we can get to the school on schedule. We'll have to go a little harder to make up for lost time, think you can handle that old boy?" His driver had asked, the professor and Neville going back to the compartments.

Edward could already hear his wheels groaning and his axles creaking when his driver asked the question, but these students couldn't afford to be late. With a long whistle, Edward smiled confidently. "I'll certainly try my hardest!"

His driver pat him on the side, and with a gush of steam, Edward was off again with a loud peep peep. "That's the ticket old boy! We'll get them there in no time!"

  
\---

Everything ached for Edward. He was panting hard, but with his final bit of steam he slowed to a stop at Hogsmeade Station. Gently patting his side, his driver smiled proudly at Edward. "You did well Edward, we made it here on time despite the set-back. Sir Toppam Hatt would be proud."

Would he really? Edward knew deep down his driver was right, but it was hard to shake the nagging doubt and guilt that plagued him for all of his years. As the flushed faces in the cool air walked out towards the carriages and the giant of a man boomed for the first years, one portly boy stopped and stared up at Edward. A few students waved goodbye to him as they passed.

"Hullo there." He said, taking in another gulp of air. "You have an alright ride?"

The boy nodded. "Yes sir, Mr. Edward. I just...wanted to say thank you. For your kind words."

Now that Edward had properly identified this boy as Neville, the old train smiled brightly at him. "It's not a problem Mr. Longbottom. I hope I kept my word."

Neville bobbed his head. "You did sir..." He flushed, looking down at his shoes. It looked like he wanted to say something, but Edward had dealt with shy children before, this was nothing new.

"Is there something else you'd like to ask me?"

The boys face flushed darkly, and he shook his head. "N-No! No, I shouldn't. It's rather personal."

Edward's brow raised a little, wondering what on earth this boy thought was a personal question to him. "Go ahead and ask, if it's too personal, I'll let you know."

Neville gulped, finding out that his shoes were extremely interesting. "The Dementors...do...do they have any affect on you?"

The train was very surprised now, and he gave an understanding smile towards him. Of course, wizards and muggles were one thing, but trains? Edward didn't know Hogwarts' education that well, but he was sure Sodor wasn't brought up that often. "They do, Neville. Not to the extent that it does for magical folk and regular people though. But Dementors do have an affect on engines like me."

Whatever other questions Neville had, they would have to be cut short. "You'll be late if you hang about too long Neville. I'll tell you what, we can start up a correspondence. I hear my friend Gordon has kept in touch with a lovely young girl here, so I don't see why I can't do the same. If you have any questions, go ahead and send me a letter. Just address it to 'Edward the Blue Engine, Shed Number 2, the Island of Sodor'. That way the owls can find me."

The student nodded, and hastily scurried off to join the carriages. "I'll write you! I promise!"

Edward laughed. "I'll hold you to it Neville! Goodbye!" With a loud whistle into the night, Edward bid his new friend goodbye.

\---

Sure enough, once Edward was back home in Sodor a few days later, there was a letter waiting for him. "Open it! Open it!" He urged his driver. The driver carefully removed the letter from the owl's leg, and fed it a few treats.

Gently tearing open the letter, his driver read it out loud.

_"Dear Edward,_

_I want to thank you for telling me about the Dementor's affects on you. Professor Lupin, that's our latest Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, asked about Sodor engines in relation to magical creatures and I was actually able to answer the question! I even got points for Gryffindor!_

_What's it like working on Sodor? Gran hasn't told me much about it, other than old and ancient magic runs through there and that the muggles oddly don't seem too beaten up about talking trains. How do you do it?_

_With regards,_

_Neville Longbottom."_

Edward's smile threatened to tear off his face as his driver finished the letter. "He seems like a smart boy." His driver commented.

"Yes he does, quickly, grab a pen and write this down for me! I want to reply as soon as possible." The driver chuckled, but obliged his engine's request as Edward cleared his throat.

"Dear Neville..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for everyone who read this chapter, and I apologize for taking so long to get it up. Meatspace is a real pain in the ass. Reviews are always appreciated!


	4. Runaway in Red

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> James, despite some misgivings about returning to the mainland, has been asked to pull the Express. Unfortunately for the red engine, things are never as smooth as he'd like.

James whistled loudly into the air as he chugged down the tracks towards Hogwarts, steam billowing into the evening air. The red engine grumbled in dissatisfaction to himself, guilt pooling in his boiler like an aching sickness he couldn't cure himself off.

He had done the unthinkable. He knew that coming back to his old home, even if it was for just one trip, was a bad idea. Too many bad memories.

Sighing, James continued chugging along the tracks. What he personally felt about the place didn't matter anymore. He had actually snapped at one of his passengers. He had apologized of course, but the blonde kid reminded him a little of Spencer back when he was a colossal jerk.

'I'll have you scrapped for that.'

That had been his exact words. He didn't know where the little idiot got off saying that sort of horrible thing to him, but James would have blown his top if the conductor hadn't blown the whistle to board the train.

Not only was he angry, he was scared. Scared that just maybe he could actually get him scrapped. Of course, he knew deep down that Sir Toppam Hatt wouldn't dare scrap him based off of a mistake like that, but James knew that he always chugged on thinner rails than he should have. His temper was just too severe in some cases.

"How could anyone confuse me for the Hogwarts Express?" James had asked aloud, for what must have been the hundreth time on the trip. Of course he knew the answer, the Express and himself just happened to be the same model of locotmotive. No more, no less.

But there were clear differences between them! James had a nicer coat of red paint, and did no one notice the giant yellow 5 on his tender?! The students from Sodor didn't help matters either, they just snickered behind their hands. Pah.

The train jolted violently, shaking James out of his thoughts. "Driver? What was that?"

His face went a little pale as he heard arguing in his cab. "James, you're speeding up." Panic filled his frame as his eyes swiveled in front of him, and the train gave another violent shake as James felt himself pushed along the rails!

"Stop! Stop!" James cried, blowing his whistle loudly in alarm. Sparks flew out from under his wheels as his breaks screeched loudly along the tracks, but the train wouldn't stop! James blew his whistle loudly as he roared down the tracks towards Hogwarts. Would he derail? Would he crash? Flashbacks to his first time on Sodor raced through his mind, but he had children to think about!

"Can't anyone stop us?! Use magic if you have too!" He cried desperately, whistling sharply in alarm as he thundered down the line. "Help! Help! Someone help! Please!"

But no one answered him.

James rocketed down the tracks at a blistering speed, the coaches bumping and rocking as he desperately tried to stop or slow himself down. He heard the grinding of gears and his driver swearing. "It's no use James! Something's blocked your brakes!"

"WHAT!? How did that happen!?" He heard the compartment to his cab slam open, and the trolley witch's shaky voice.

"What's going on? We're not supposed to be going this fast."

"Something's jammed the breaks and we can't slow down. Someone will have to see what the problem is." James gulped nervously, hyperventalating to himself.

"What!? But with how fast we're going..."

"We'll crash right into Hogsmeade, no questions about it. I hope my magic's up to snuff..."

James watched in horror as his driver carefully shifted himself out onto his side. Slowly, he inched his way over before pulling his wand out and waving it in some pattern he couldn't recognize. The driver was turned upside-down, and the fireman leaned out the side and pointed his own wand at his driver, slowly lifting him down near the thundering wheels.

"I see the problem!" His driver yelled over the noise. "Something's been jammed here! Hang on!" James gasped as his driver started waving his wand, and with a loud CRASH, the blocks of wood slammed underneath him and were crushed by his wheels, the red engine rocking heavily as he did so.

"That should do it! Pull me back in!" His fireman yelled an affirmative, waving his wand and helping his driver right himself. The Driver gripped into James's side tightly, slowly inching his way back towards the cab before he slid from view.

The red engine sighed in relief as he felt himself slow down, but not stop. "What happened!?"

"There were a couple blocks of wood magically placed against your brakes James." His driver told him seriously. "It looks like someone didn't want the Express from reaching Hogwarts." The train shuddered a little as the orange sky slowly faded into an inky black.

Whatever had happened, he didn't want to think about the implications about what it meant. Keeping himself focused on the tracks, James puffed his way towards Hogsmeade station and hoped that there weren't any more incidents.

\----

James pulled into Hogsmeade on schedule, sighing to himself as steam hissed into the cool night air. He counted his blessings that he only had one incident on the way over, but instantly the shame crashed over him.

He knew it wasn't his fault, he knew it wasn't anyone's fault but the person who tried to derail him but he couldn't help but blame himself. He was the responisble for getting these children to safety, and he had nearly payed the ultimate price in his failure.

"Excuse me, uh...Mr. Engine?" Blinking out of his brooding thoughts, the splendid red engine looked over to the bespectacled boy that spoke to him. "Ignore what Malfoy says. He's a git."

Malfoy? James frowned, before his eyes widened at the realization.

He trying to make him feel better about the incident at the station earlier today. Unable to help the smile growing on his face, he spoke to the kid. "Thanks er..."

"Harry Potter." He supplied.

"Well, thanks Harry. I doubt he could get me scrapped even if he really wanted too." Normally, James realized to himself, he would go on a self-important tirade about why he wouldn't be scrapped.

Tonight however, was not a good night for him.

Harry snorted in amusement, waving as he walked off with two people that James could only assume to be his friends. "Have a safe trip back to Sodor, say hello to Henry for me!"

James offered a small smile, whistling goodbye. "I'll tell him!"

His driver gently pat the side of the red engine. "Shall we be off then? I've alerted the proper authorities."

"Yeah, let's go home," James softly said, whistling again when the coaches were uncoupled and he slowly chugged out of Hogsmeade station and back home towards Sodor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for being patient with me as I sorted out my meat-space problems. I'm determined to stick to the schedule though. I hope you all enjoyed the chapter!


	5. Time of the Twins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Before the Tri-Wizard tournament, Donald and Douglas are tasked with pulling the express and naturally, the only other pair of twins at Hogwarts come to have a brief chat.
> 
> Later in the year, Harry's in a rut after his name came up for the Tournament, but he gets a small care package as a pick-me-up.

It was an odd sight for the students of Hogwarts when not one engine, but two engines were at King's Cross Station for the upcoming year. Both engines were sleek black in design, and to the casual eye, the only real difference was the numbers 9 and 10 on their tenders.

Whatever the case, it was only natural that Fred and George Weasley, also a pair of identical twins, would take interest in this little tidbit.

"I must say dear brother," Fred began.

"That we were not expecting," George continued.

"A pair of twins,"

"That also doubled as trains!"

The one in front managed to smile kindly at them, and spoke in a thick scottish burr that put Professor McGonagall to shame. "Oh, are ye twins too?"

"Don't be daft!" His brother scolded from behind him. "O'course they're twin, are ye blind or something?"

"Oh that's a riot coming from you!" The one in front shot back, scowling angrily. "Need I remind ye of the pond incident AGAIN?"

"That's not my fault!" His brother replied hotly, his face turning red. "That's the fault of that rotted and broken down buffer!" He scowled at his twin's smug expression.

"Suuuure, suuure, keep telling yerself that...ah! Where are my manners? I'm Douglas, and this good for nothing sod here is my brother Donald."

Fred and George blinked owlishly at the pair as the argument died down. They glanced at each other in silence, shifting from one foot to the other, a question burning their lips.

Donald raised an eyebrow. "Is something the matter boys?"

The Weasley Twins looked at each other again, before nodding. "Well," George started.

"Do you two always argue like that?" Fred finished, looking at the engines curiously.

Donald and Douglas exchanged a look at one another, before they both burst into hearty laughter. Fred and George frowned in confusion before Douglas sighed a little. "Aye, aye. We do," He confirmed cheerfully. "And, admittedly, it has gotten the best of us sometimes."

Donald snorted a little, and Douglas sighed. "Okay, okay, fine. It can be real problem at times. But, we've been working on that," He clarified. "And, it's only natural for siblings to get into spats all the time, I'm sure that you two haven't always seen eye to eye on a lot of things."

Fred and George both gave each other a calculating look, before George slowly nodded. "Yeah," He said slowly. "I guess that makes sense. We're not totally identical, I guess."

Fred nodded in agreement. "I guess. But why are there two engines pulling the express instead of one?"

Donald and Douglas shared a knowing look. "He wants to know Douggie!"

"Aye he does Donnie. Should we tell 'em?"

"Aye we probably should."

George's lips quirked a little, was this what other people had to deal with when they started doing twin speak?

Douglas coughed a little. "We work better together than apart. That I hear the train is awfully heavy, so having two engines lighten the load'll make it easier for all of us!" They smiled as the conductor blew his whistle, and both engines did the same. "Alright you two, get on board! We'll be departing in a moment."

"It was nice meeting you two." Donald called out to the boarding Weasley Twins. They smiled and waved, leaving the two engines alone on the platform.

"Nice lads," Douglas complimented.

"Aye, aye. They could barely tell us apart!" Donald agreed.

"Hogwash, we're totally different," Snorted Douglas as they weeshed out of King's Cross and towards Hogwarts.

"I dunno Douggie, we ARE twins."

"Pah! I'm better looking than you!"

"You take that back you suffering steampile!"

Donald and Douglas continued their bickering all the way to Hogwarts, much to Fred and George's delight.

\-----

It was later in the year when Harry's name was unfortunately vomited out by the Goblet of Fire, and the one word Harry could use to describe what school life would be like now was "Hell."

Internally he questioned if his parents had managed to anger a diety and got himself eternally cursed with poor luck. It was bad enough that 2nd Year was the Chamber of Secrets fiasco, but now he had to compete in a tournmanet where participants could actually die, and there was no way out of it.

A small mercy to him though, was that Hermione was still talking to him. He could at least have one shoulder to cry on if he needed it. It had really hurt him when Ron thought he actually put his name in the Goblet, but he figured once Ron realized Harry wouldn't intentionally try to kill himself he'd realize how much of a git he was and apologize. Harry could work with that.

What he couldn't work with though was having to deal with everyone at breakfast each and every morning.

Sure, it wasn't as if people were throwing hexes or curses at him, but the constant whispering and murmuring was getting out of hand. Not to mention he had made an enemy with the entirety of Hufflepuff house, although when he thought about how many Hufflepuffs he knew he wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.

"Pass the salt, please?" He kindly asked Hermione, who obliged and he dumped a hefty amount on his sausages that morning. Running a hand through his hair, he focused on 'the most important meal of the day' instead of throwing all of it in the nearest fire. "Thanks," He mumbled through bites of food.

"Don't talk with your mouth full," She admonished gently, offering him a small smile before scooting back in shock as a large barn owl landed in front of him with a package. Glancing at Hermione, he carefully untied the package and fed the owl a bit of bacon before it took off, and he placed the parcel in his lap.

"Er..." He looked at Hermione as he pulled the letter off. He couldn't recognize the handwriting, and he frowned a little. Hermione pursed her lips together, eyeing the package warily.

"Do you think...it's from Snuffles?" She asked, and he shrugged. With only one way to find out, he held the letter aloft and opened it slowly. After being satisfied it wouldn't blow up in his face, he pulled the letter out to read it.

_Dear Harry,_

_We realize that you're having a hard time right now, and we've heard about how someone involuntarily put your name in the Goblet of Fire from a couple of friends you have, which we can only imagine is unbelievably hard for you._

_We, (Or at least, Thomas and Percy, as it was their idea) decided on a little pick-me-up care package of Sodor's best treats for you. It's not much, but Sir Toppam Hat vetoed us trying to attend when you're supposed to go on._

_Good luck though Harry, we know you'll do great._

_Sincerely,_

_The Engines of Sodor._

  
Harry stared at the letter, scanning it over before handing it off to Hermione, who read it over quickly. Her eyebrows shot up once she got to the end. "Well, this is unexpected. Who do you think was writing to the engines?"

He shrugged, but stood up and tucked the package under his arm. "No idea, you want to come up and see what's inside with me? I'd rather not open it out here..." Hermione nodded, standing with him.

Somehow, Harry was able to ignore everyone except Hermione, and thus wasn't able to see the small smile on Ginny and Neville's faces as they exited the Great Hall.

Satisfied, they clinked their goblets together and took a hearty drink as two letters landed for them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Going to have to apologize to you readers, I did things a little out of order. James was pulling the 5th Year's express, something I neglected to mention until I just remembered it was very odd to have Chapter 5 be Year 4. Ah well. I hope this chapter was good, have a good week!


	6. Stirling Changes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The last and final call for Sodor Engines to pull the express, and Emily gets that distinct honor. Once Harry's sixth year is over, he's offered an invitation to get away from everything.

One of the things Emily was looking forward too the most when it was her turn to pull the Hogwarts Express was getting the opportunity to meet all of the wonder little wizards and witches of Britain. Of course, she knew a couple of them from Sodor, but they were few and far between.

"Isn't King's Cross lovely driver?" The Sterling engine sighed happily.

"Sure is," Her driver agreed. "It's certainly more modern than some of the stations back at Sodor."

Emily giggled, blowing her whistle a few times in agreement. Her wheels were practically wobbling with excitement as she listened to all of the hustle and bustle that went on at the station, listening to parents say goodbye to their children and just the general chatter of a new school year.

"Excuse me?"

Emily looked over at the soft voice to see a blonde girl staring up at her curiously.

"Yes? Is there something I can help you with miss?"

"My name is Luna. Luna Lovegood," She started, blinking a little. "I was wondering if I could ask you a question? I'm very curious about something, you see."

"Well Luna, my name is Emily, and I'd be more than happy to answer any questions you have." She smiled encouragingly at the girl.

"Were you born a girl? I wouldn't think trains could have genders." Ah, so that was it. Giggling a little despite herself, it wasn't the first time someone had asked the engines questions like that.

"I was born a girl, in a sense. Of course, you know that Engines aren't born the same way regular people are, but once all of my parts were put together and I was on the railway, everyone knew me as Emily! Magic works in mysterious ways my dear." She threw Luna a playful wink.

Luna's head cocked a little, and her eyes sparkled with curiosity as she pondered her next question. "The Hogwarts Express doesn't seem to have a face like you do."

"Well, the Express probably doesn't have much of a reason to talk that much!" Which was true, the Express was quite a lovely girl (although she was a bit too much like James for Emily's liking if you really had to ask her) but overall she confessed she never really had much of a reason to talk to the students, they never tried talking to her after all!

"Huh. Do you think the Express will be back next year so I can talk to it?"

"Possibly! The Steamworks have been working around the clock, usually these kinds of repairs wouldn't take this long, but the Express was commandeered instead of built specifically to carry magical children, so she needs to make sure all of the spell work is in it's proper place."

"Do all of Sodor's engines need that?"

"Oh no, Sodor is rich with magic, so there's less of a chance of something going wonky! Will that be everything Luna?"

Luna nodded, smiling kindly at Emily. "Yes, I think so. Thank you Emily, I think that's answered all of my questions for now."

"Well if you have any more, don't fret and come say hello!"

"I will, thank you."

Luna wandered off back towards the coaches, and Emily sighed happily. Students were absolutely marvelous, so curious and full of life! She gasped a little as the stationmaster blew his whistle. "Time to go already? I thought we'd have more time than that!" She blew her whistle loudly. "Everyone get on board! The Express will be leaving soon!"

15 minutes later, the station was clear of children and full of waving parents saying goodbye to their children. Giving another whistle, Emily lurched and chugged out of the station and out on the rails to Hogwarts.

  
\-----

Most people assumed that the Engine's job was done at the beginning of the year, but Emily sat in Hogsmeade Station at the end of the Hogwarts school year with as much dignity as she could despite the thick and heavy atmosphere. Which was understandable of course, considering one thing.

Headmaster Dumbledore was dead.

It was a shot heard all over the magical world. It was almost as bad as You-Know-Who coming back to life apparently, and Emily felt her boiler shudder at the idea of a dark wizard in Sodor.

The rain drizzled lightly, and as the students shuffled onto the train, Emily's eyes lay on the most dejected looking soul of the group: Harry Potter.

His name had been all over the papers for the past couple of years, and all the engines on Sodor agreed that the poor boy was being put through the wringer and then some. First the Tri-Wizard tournament, then the Daily Prophet's smear campaign (Sir Toppam Hatt wanted to ban the newspaper from reaching Sodor's shores thanks to all of that guff), and now...she sighed a little, remembering her boss' message.

Once all the children were boarded, she blew her whistle and set off back towards King's Cross station. The rain didn't let up, but Emily was used to working in the rain, it sure beat the snow!

Puffing along, she whistled a long and sad goodbye to Hogwarts, sighing a little to herself before fixing her eyes ahead and putting on a determined face.

Once they reached King's Cross station, she waited a few moments before calling out. "Mr. Potter? Harry Potter! Would you be so kind as to come over here for a moment?"

She was relieved to see a confused and gaunt looking Harry Potter, flanked by a red-headed man and a woman with bushy brown hair. "Er...yes?"

"I have a message from Sir Toppam Hatt, the one who runs Sodor? He says, that if things get too much for you, Sodor will be glad to have you for as long as you need. Okay?"

Emily saw Harry's face morph first in surprise, then in thought, before he finally settled on a weary smile. "Thank you. I'll consider it."

He waved as he turned and walked with his friends towards the barrier that separated Platform 9 and 3 Quarters, and silently disappeared back into the muggle world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At the penultimate stop, so to speak! Thank you to everyone who's been patient with me, we only have one chapter left and I want to go out on a bang! I have something special in store for you all, and thank you for reading this!


	7. At The Summit's Peak

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry gets a well deserved and well earned vacation to Sodor.

Sailing, even as just a passenger on a nice cruise ship, was something Harry Potter would never do again as long as he lived. He hung over the railing as the Sodor cruise liner steamed slowly into Brendam Docks, looking a little pale.

He was aware of the irony that he was completely fine on a broomstick of all things, but a slow-moving boat had him hurling in the bathroom for days and thanking the invention of a motion sickness potion. The blue water sparkled as the busy sounds of the docks could reach his ears, and he saw the smoking funnel of Edward waiting patiently with a bundle of coaches. Slinging his bag over his shoulder, the chatter of various vactioners like himself washed over him and he fingered the railway pass in his pocket.

Staring out at the Island of Sodor, he ran a hand through his messy black hair and wondered for the millionth time how marvelous it was to truly have a vacation to himself. No Voldemort, no Ministry, no anything other than enjoying himself for as long as he wanted.

Shuffling down the boarding platform, he shifted his bag and unzipped it, pulling out a Map of Sodor and consulting it briefly, frowning as his eyes scanned over the unfamiliar railways and destinations as he slowly approached the conductor.

"Excuse me? Would you mind helping me out?" The uniformed man smiled kindly, the crow's feet on his face wrinkling a little.

"It wouldn't be any trouble at all sir, what can I help you with?"

Harry moved over, pointing to the map. "I have a hotel booked on the Skarloey Railway, but I'm afraid I haven't the faintest idea how to get there, I'm a tourist, you see."

The conductor chuckled, and nodded. "Well, you're in luck sir. We'll be headed up to Wellsworth, and from that station you take the westbound train to Crovan's Gate, then you board the narrow gauge train up to Skarloey, have you got that?"

The elderly man chuckled again as Harry's green eyes narrowed at the map, mumbling to himself. "We announce every station we stop at, and if you're in a spot of bother, don't hesitate to ask for help if you need it. I can understand it's difficult to navigate the railway on your first visit. Do you have a boarding pass?"

Nodding, he handed the conductor his pass, after looking at it, then at him, he nodded and handed it back to Harry. "Seems to be in order, just board the train here and you'll be set."

Thanking the conductor, Harry hauled himself on one of the coaches. "Oh, and Mr. Potter? Welcome to Sodor!"

The wizard paused, before giving a small smile at the conductor and sitting down, shoving his bag under the seat. Stretching a little, he watched as various people boarded along with him, a few holding walkmans, briefcases, one of the children was playing on a gameboy. If there were wizards, they were completely unnoticable.

'Exactly how I want it,' Harry thought to himself, looking out the window as the conductor blew his whistle to signal the train was about to leave. He could hear the giant crane complaining loudly to the engines below as he lowered some cargo onto the platform.

The coaches lurched, and with a loud whistle from Edward, they were on the move.

The scenery seemed slow to change, and Harry inwardly thought it was a bit strange being on a train that wasn't the Hogwarts Express, which only segued into him wondering if the Express was still at Sodor or back at Hogwarts pulling the express.

"Would you mind if I sat here?" He blinked, looking up at the elderly woman and instantly scooting aside, shaking his head. She beamed at him, and carefully sat down on the bench. "Thank you young man, I'm afraid these old bones aren't meant to stand in a train all day anymore!" She chuckled, and he looked at her curiously.

"If you don't mind me asking..." He started unsurely, but she waved him off.

"Oh pish posh, I've made a career out of having questions asked to me! Ask away."

Dipping his head a little, he nodded and took a breath. "Well, you said 'anymore'...did you used to work for the railway?" The woman's eyes sparkled a little as she beamed widely.

"Why yes young man, I did! All the way back in the 60s, I was fortunate enough to work on the railway as a waitress on board the express."

Harry's eyes widened a bit at that. "Since the 60s? Is the railway..." He trailed off, realizing it'd be rude to make anymore comments. The old woman only crowed with laughter, clapping her hands together briefly.

"Oh no, the railway's been in operation long before even I was born! It was smaller back then of course, but Sodor is always making new additions wherever they can. Some say the railway is old fashioned, but I think things just wouldn't be the same without it."

She sighed a little, and smiled apologetically at Harry. "Look at me, rambling away like I'm my mother! I'm terribly sorry young man."

Harry blushed a bit, shaking his head. In truth he had been hanging onto the woman's every word. "It's quite alright ma'am. It's very interesting."

"If you don't mind my asking, where are you headed off too?"

"Skarloey," Harry answered, scratching his cheek a bit. "I have plans to visit Culdee Fell, but I probably won't get around to it until tomorrow. It's...been a long time coming." He said finally.

She nodded sagely. "Not a lot of visitors to Culdee Fell, but I'm sure you'll find it just as wonderful as the rest of Sodor is." He nodded as the train rolled to a stop. "This'll be my station, thank you for indulging me to pass the time. I've found the train rides are much shorter with a good bit of company."

Nodding and waving, he watched as the little old waitress stepped off of the train and into the arms of an older gentleman, and together they walked off towards the road, laughing to things only they had ears for.

Looking around the train car, the chatter and bustle of the small station washed over him again. Children laughing and playing with each other, people talking with one another, the driver and engine saying hello to the stationmaster...

And they were all alive. Each of them was breathing, and smiling. Harry ran a hand through his hair, how long ago did that seem like such an impossible task? Yet here was the reality of it all, and Harry wondered if he'd ever get used to it.

"Next stop, Wellsworth!"

Wellsworth, that was where the conductor said he needed to get on the next train. Inwardly, he smiled a little and remembered Ron's crack when he said he'd be vacationing to Sodor.

"Sodor? Isn't that the place with all of the trains? You'll be on a train more than you'll be sightseeing mate."

Perhaps Ron had a point, Harry conceded dryly as Edward's train pulled into the station. He stepped down, stretching the kinks out of his back and adjusting his bag. He might just spend more time on the trains than actually sight-seeing.

Especially if those trains were his friends.

"Henry!" Harry called, walking over to the brilliant green engine on the adjacent platform. The green engine looked over, and his whole face brightened as Harry got closer. "It's good to see you Henry!"

"Harry!" The large engine beamed. "It's wonderful to see you too. My my you've grown!"

Harry chuckled, looking a tad embarrassed. "Yeah, I guess I have. It's been...what, 8 years?"

"Oh, something like that. But I never forget a face though. What brings you to Sodor?" Harry shrugged, holding out his bag a little.

"Vacation. Long overdue if you ask me." Or anyone Harry knew really. "I thought I'd stop and say hello before I find my train to...Craven's Gate I think."

"Well, you're in luck then! That happens to be the train I'm pulling, since I'm pulling the Express today. I assume you have your passes and tickets and everything else?" At Harry's nod, the green engine beamed happily. "Excellent, you heading off to Skarloey if you're going to Craven's Gate?"

"Yup, I want to actually take my time with this vacation, now that I have time." He gave his old friend an embarrassed smile. "I'm also going to Culdee Fell, but that might have to wait until tomorrow."

Henry hummed in agreement. "Culdee Fell doesn't get too many visitors now, but I've heard it's one of the grandest sights in Sodor. You might be able to make it today if you skip going to Skarloey. I stop at the railway that leads up the mountain."

Rubbing his chin, Harry slowly nodded. "Yeah, okay. Which station is that?"

"Kildane. It'll be worth all of the train-rides, trust me."

Nodding, Harry boarded the train when the stationmaster's whistle blew. Sighing, he settled himself down for another long train ride.

\----

Culdee Fell was cold, Harry noted to himself. He was aware he WAS on a mountain summit, but that was no excuse to be this cold in the middle of summer. Quietly and discreetly casting a warming charm on himself, he rubbed his hands a little as he stood at the balcony of the Culdee Fell Hotel. Why anyone would stay up here overnight was anyone's guess to Harry, but he figured that there had to be some appeal.

The cool wind gently blew across his face, and he leaned on the railing as the sun peaked in the air. The train-ride up had been slow and methodical, and it was quarter past 1 when they finally reached the summit.

Harry could see Brendam Docks in the distance, nothing but tiny specks as the vast ocean stretched out for miles. The clouds parted over the landscape slowly, and the young wizard could see the entirety of Sodor. He couldn't even see the engines as they busied throughout their day, delivering passengers, cargo, or whatever else Sir Toppam Hatt deigned them to do.

How many people lived on Sodor, Harry wondered. How many children played in the fields and waved merrily at the trains as they did their duties. How many loved ones would stay together and new love found? Harry closed his eyes a little, taking a deep breath.

This view was the ultimate proof. Life trundling along, day after day, without need to worry about Voldemorts and darkness looming overhead. Harry really had yet to grasp how many people he had truly saved that day at Hogwarts, but as he opened his eyes and watched Sodor from the summit, perhaps an exact number wasn't needed.

Harry Potter had beaten Lord Voldemort, and had saved the Wizarding World from years of darkness and destruction.   
  
That was all that needed to be said, wasn't it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for everyone who's read this through to the end. Without your support (the hits, the kudos, etc) I would've never finished this. Some meat space injuries forced me to hold off on updating but it's here and done! Thank you again for reading this, you're all amazing!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you everyone for reading this!


End file.
